Warning: contains spoilers for Batman: Beyond the White Knight #1!
In a new preview, DC Comics has dropped a bombshell about Batman Beyond’s suit: it was so dangerous Batman refused to wear it! In Batman: Beyond the White Knight #1, on sale March 29th in print and digital, Terry McGinnis arrives in artist Sean Murphy’s Batman: White Knight universe with a stunning twist about his iconic uniform.
The White Knight universe, created by Sean Murphy, is one of the most unique takes on the Batman mythos in recent years. Beginning with 2017’s Batman: White Knight and continuing in the follow-up Batman: Curse of the White Knight as well as a Harley Quinn spin-off miniseries, Murphy has skewered traditional Batman tropes, reframing both his battles against the Joker as well as his ongoing war on crime. Curse of the White Knight ended with Batman changing the focus of his mission; instead of fighting crime dressed as a giant bat, he would invest his vast fortune in social betterment programs across Gotham. Murphy has also incorporated Harley Quinn, Azrael and, at the end of Curse of the White Knight, Red Hood into the universe, and now it is Batman Beyond’s turn. In Batman: Beyond the White Knight, readers learn Bruce’s efforts to better Gotham paid off, creating the Neo-Gotham familiar to Batman Beyond fans, but with this being the White Knight universe, events will unfold much differently. The issue is written and illustrated by Sean Murphy, colored by Dave Stewart and lettered by Andworld Designs.
The preview opens with Terry McGinnis plumbing the depths of the Batcave, looking for technology his employer Derek Powers can potentially use. Powers has instructed Terry to find a specific armor, one so dangerous and powerful Batman never used it. The authorities find Terry and descend into the cave to arrest him. Powers tells Terry to put on the suit. Terry, while puzzled, does as instructed—and readers see the suit in question is his Batman Beyond suit, complete with the red bat logo. As Terry fights off the police, he utilizes the suit’s advanced features, easily dispatching the guards. He then flies out of the cave, high above the skyline of Neo-Gotham.
Since Terry McGinnis’ debut as Batman Beyond in 1999, fans have known his armor is powerful, with capabilities far beyond anything the Dark Knight uses in the present day. Yet the revelation that it was so powerful it scared even Batman is shocking. This development also keeps in line with the vibe Sean Murphy has established in the White Knight universe, ensuring fans will get a radical new take on Terry McGinnis and the world of Neo-Gotham, leading to the question: how else will Beyond the White Knight change up the story? Will it feature more classic Batman Beyond villains? And will Bruce Wayne still play the same role?
Batman Beyond has become an important part of the Batman mythos, and now fans learn that his armor was so dangerous, not even Batman himself would use it.